Last year's ban on Western nations' food imports to Russia did not expand to canned fish, but a decision by Russian veterinary and food authorities have now also banned Estonian and Latvian canned fish.

The decision came after Russian authorities made nine checks in Estonian and Latvian fish processing plants, but the Estonian Association of Fisheries said the real reason was that Estonian products have become very popular in Russia, Postimeesreported.

Rosselkhoznadzor, the Russian Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance, began checks on May 18 after saying the number of products deemed unsafe, had increased.

Besides the food import ban, implemented last summer in retaliation to the EU and US sanctions against Russia, the country has regularly banned Estonian dairy and fish products on health and safety grounds. Russia lifted bans on 3 of 13 Estonian dairy and fish companies in March 2014, having only set new bans two months earlier.

Following the local elections in October this year, Reform Party founder, former prime minister, EU commissioner, and presidential candidate Siim Kallas took on the job of municipal mayor of Viimsi, a community on the outskirts of Tallinn. In his interview with ERR's Toomas Sildam, Kallas talks about local government, his party, the EU presidency, and perspectives in Estonian politics.